Becoming the Villain's Discarded Wife
Chapter 413: Coercion

Chapter 413: Chapter 413: Coercion

The business at Hot Pot Building was doing outstandingly well, attracting many regular customers from Three Flavors Residence who lined up to try it out.

Uncle Ping, looking at the increasingly bleak business, was also growing concerned.

He always felt the owner has been acting a bit off these days.

"Uncle Ping, our business here has been pretty slack these few days."

Liao Da is now in charge of the private rooms on the second floor, but only two parties of customers came in the whole day.

He’s frustrated too.

"Indeed." Uncle Ping looked at the account book and shook his head.

"Ah——"

Before Liao Da could speak again, a scream was heard from the neighboring courtyard.

This scream was terrifying, startling the diners in the Main Hall and nearly causing them to fall over.

"Nothing to worry about, please continue eating, continue eating."

Liao Da comforted the customers while signaling with his eyes to his apprentice downstairs.

The young apprentice nodded, took some wine, and served it as an apology to the customers at each table, while Liao Da went to the back yard with a frown on his face.

By the time he entered the courtyard, he saw a few servant girls trembling in the corner.

"Brother Liao Da, there’s blood!"

With a pallid face, Ling Long was protecting her fellow servants behind her, pointing in the direction of the courtyard door with trembling hands.

The door of the courtyard was open, and there was blood splattered at the entrance. The scattered droplets of blood looked terrifying.

There was also a gathering of people surrounding the scene, craning their necks to see the commotion.

"What happened?" Liao Da asked in surprise after just one sentence.

"We sold all the cakes and fruit today. We had tidied up things and prepared to close about a quarter of an hour ago, and when I just went out, I saw...saw that the entrance was splattered with blood."

Ling Long swallowed nervously, looking terribly pale.

Just as she was preparing to close the courtyard door, her eyes inadvertently went to the door and the vibrant red blood almost scared the wits out of her.

Liao Da glanced at Ling Long, and then looked at the other servant girls behind her before he swiftly walked out and quietly whispered a few words to a familiar carriage-driver. Then he returned to the courtyard, his face grave.

He didn’t dare to close the door recklessly. Even when he left the courtyard, he cautiously avoided the bloody spot, fearing that he might disrupt the scene.

"I will go and get the owner. Ling Long, guard the door and don’t let anyone disturb the scene. The rest of you, stay put and don’t wander around."

"Alright."

Ling Long nodded in agreement but felt a chill run down her spine when she looked at the bloody scene at the entrance of the door.

The other four girls were terrified too and just stayed together without venturing off.

Nanzhi, who had been sitting in a daze in the ladies’ building, was also startled by the earlier scream.

Now, watching Liao Da rushed upstairs, she furrowed her eyebrows.

"What happened?"

"Ma’am, it’s the smaller courtyard, there... there’s blood in the smaller courtyard..."

Nanzhi’s face turned cold, put down her cup of tea, and stood up.

"Let’s go, show me."

When Nanzhi went downstairs, she felt dizzy, and she just assumed it was because she had been sitting for a long time, not paying much attention to it.

When she arrived at the neighbouring courtyard, she overheard someone arguing at the courtyard gate.

Ling Long was stopping a man from entering, while He Xiang in the courtyard was in tears again.

"Sister Ling Long, let me go!"

He Xiang was crying pitifully, which elicited sympathy from the onlookers outside the gate.

"Shut up!" Ling Long rebuked He Xiang, holding her bamboo stick up to prevent Qian Er from entering.

"Get lost! Don’t cause trouble here!"

Qian Er was desperate to whisk He Xiang away immediately and was fuming with anger when he was stopped.

"Out of my way! He Xiang and I love each other, who are you to stop me!"

"Because she is the slave I bought." Nanzhi walked up slowly, gave a cold stare at He Xiang, then turned her gaze to Qian Er.

Qian Er was already in his mid-twenties, average-looking with shifty, rodent-like eyes that gave off a sense of sleaziness. He and his gambler father were dependent on each other. Having never held down a job in years and living by petty theft.

Against all odds, he managed to make He Xiang fall head over heels for him.

"You!" Qian Er wanted to retort but when he saw Nanzhi approaching, his anger subsided.

The person in front of him was the wife of the city lord, and he could not afford to offend her.

"So, do you plan to elope with her?"

Nanzhi sneered coldly, her eyes were filled with disdain as she looked at Qian Er.

At first, she didn’t understand why He Xiang would have any contact with Qian Er.

But she was enlightened soon after.

Everyone was designated a specific task in her courtyard.

And He Xiang just happened to be the one in charge of preparing the fruit jam.

Although ice can be bought by anyone with money, the recipe for the fruit jam might not be that easy to acquire.

Even though Qian Er’s family was not wealthy, he himself was not clean either.

After the Cui Tian incident, she understood a bit more.

Some people are willing to do shameless things just for a little bit of profit.

Perhaps He Xiang has become the prey they’ve set their eyes on.

"Ma’am, your words are too harsh." Qian Er laughed awkwardly, revealing a hint of sycophancy on his face.

"No, it’s just that I worry about He Xiang, so I thought of taking her to my place for a few days, for just a few days."

Qian Er smirked, his already narrow eyes were now barely visible.

"Oh? You’re worried for He Xiang? Are you afraid I’ll sell her off?"

Nanzhi sneered sarcastically, staring hard at Qian Er who subsequently felt a cold sweat form on his back.

"No, no." Qian Er shook his head in denial, then he explained, "No, no. I just heard that someone had splattered blood here, so I got worried about He Xiang and wanted to come and take her away."

Qian Er explained with a stutter.

"It seems you truly have deep feelings for He Xiang." Nanzhi raised her eyebrows and turned to look at He Xiang standing behind her.

He Xiang was looking nervous, biting her lips lightly, her hands tightly wringing her handkerchief.

She wanted to say something, but she was afraid she might truly anger Nanzhi.

"Ma’am, you’re joking." Qian Er laughed heartily as though he had suddenly remembered something. He quickly took two silver ingots out of his pocket.

"This is...this is ten tael of silver, I...I want to redeem He Xiang with it." When Qian Er presented the silver, not just He Xiang, but even Liao Da looked surprised.

Since the last time their affair was exposed, they had investigated.

Not to mention ten tael of silver, Qian Er couldn’t even afford one tael of silver.

After all, he and his father lived on petty theft. It was a miracle that they hadn’t starved to death.

That’s why they couldn’t understand it.

Why would He Xiang choose to throw herself at such a man?

"Ma’am, ma’am, I beg you, please let me go." He Xiang, taking advantage of Nanzhi’s silence, kneeled down on the ground.

Her action drew more attention and comments from the surrounding crowd, while Liao Da’s face darkened further.

He Xiang really was mindless.